A complete 60 minute effort for the Nashville Predators tonight gave them a huge 3-0 win against an Anaheim Ducks team that clearly showed their frustrations playing a team they are 3-7-1 against in their past 11 tries (including the playoffs). Not only was this a 3-0 shutout, but it was Rinne’s 100th career victory and 22nd career shutout (now a franchise record). Nashville is now 5-4-1 on the season

Special Teams:Powerplay – 1 for 6, 16.7%
Penalty Kill – 1 for 1, 100%

Best Play of the Game: Want to start a game on the right foot? So does Patric Hornqvist. Weber, Wilson, and Hornqvist combined to get a puck in the back of the net 14 seconds into the game, marking the 3rd quickest goal in franchise history and the best possible start to a game that any team could ask for.

Worst Play of the Game: 12:23 into the third period, Corey Perry blatantly slashes Jordin Tootoo right in front of the Anaheim bench. What is absolutely sickening about this hit is that this is something Perry is starting to be known for: junk shots like this. The referees saw it, called it, and although he was penalized 2 minutes for it I really hope the league reviews this type of garbage and gets it out of the game. The hit was almost Marty McSorely-esque with a just gross use of his stick as a weapon to strike another player.

My Three Stars:
#1: Pekka Rinne – 20 saves, 100th career win, 22nd career shutout which is now a franchise record. Need I say more?

#2: Shea Weber – 1g, 1a. The captain finally gets a goal this season and what a howitzer it was. The beauty of it? It wasn’t even a full slapshot. Weber finished the game a +1 overall, 2 shots on net, 3 blocks, 2 hits, and 27 minutes on the ice

#3: Jordin Tootoo – 1a, +1, at least 2 drawn penalties. Talk about getting under a teams skin, no one does it quite as well as Jordin Tootoo has over the past couple of seasons. Tootoo was able to draw two crucial penalties against the Ducks, including the aforementioned slashing call on Perry, and is overall one of the strongest energy players the Predators have on their roster. Another great game for #22

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Although Beauchemin could possibly be suspended for his hit on Mike Fisher, the real suspension should go to Corey Perry. I usually never get personal in my own blogs, however I’m absolutely tired of players doing acts like that when they should never have to resort to stuff like that in the first place, REGARDLESS if it was Perry doing that to a Nashville player OR a Nashville player doing it to a Ducks player.

Although unsportsman-like acts like that are going to happen in every professional sport, this is why there are disciplinarians to enforce the rules and make sure cheap shots like the slashing call on Tootoo don’t happen anywhere else in the league.

If it was Tootoo making the slash or any other player in the league, I make the same plea for all of them: MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE. Brendan Shanahan has been issuing suspensions left and right during this short season and has DEFINITELY made examples of a few players (case and point James Wisniewski) who are repeat offenders. Now, here is the kicker, Corey Perry IS a repeat offender, he was suspended two seasons ago for 4 games on a blatent elbow to Flyers forward Claude Giroux. Want video evidence that there is more to prove he is a repeat offender? I’d be happy to help:

Corey Perry cheap shots Evgeni Nabokov:

Corey Perry elbows Claude Giroux:

Corey Perry spears Pekka Rinne:

Those are just 3 examples right there. If Shanahan is serious about enforcing the rules and ensuring protection of the players from stupid acts like what you see above, fine Perry and suspend him for at least 4 games. It would send a message to Perry and to anyone else in the league that wants to play the game of hockey like that: You’re not going to do it in the NHL and get away with it.

Past that? Nashville played 60 minutes, scored 3 goals, outshot their opponent for the first time all season, got a huge shutout, and they’ve won 2 in a row. Know what it’s time for? NAME THAT MOVIE!

“All right you guys let’s listen up. We won a game yesterday. If we win one today, that’s two in a row. We win one tomorrow, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before.”

Substitute “yesterday” for Thursday and “tomorrow” for Monday and that quote could be talking about the Predators. Either way, Nashville’s defense needs to keep up exactly what they’re doing. If the offense can continue to find the back of the net, it could prove to be a glorious three-headed monster for Nashville: Great Defense, Great Offense, Great Goaltending.

Stay tuned to The Predatorial on Monday morning for the gameday preview of the Chicago game!

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If you like what I have listed out here or if you have any questions/comments/concerns, feel free to let me know at kristopher.martel@thepredatorial.com